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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25463086">only human (i bleed when i fall down)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill'>forbiddenquill</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), TWICE (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A major and minor character dies I'm sorry in advance, Android AU, Angst, Based on Detroit: Become Human, F/F, MCD, This was for a fic giveaway :D, i'm sorry in advance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:34:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,188</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25463086</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddenquill/pseuds/forbiddenquill</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>JEONGMI AU: Having dedicated her entire life to building Myoui Corp, Mina turns to Jeongyeon, an android sent by Cyberlife, for companionship. Initially, all Mina wanted was a friend. But as time passes, it becomes clear that Jeongyeon is more than that. </p><p>(or, alternatively, the JeongMi Android AU)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Myoui Mina/Yoo Jeongyeon, Past Minayeon - Relationship, Slight Sanayeon - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>359</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>only human (i bleed when i fall down)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>In celebration for my account reaching 3,000 followers a month ago, I decided to write a 10k fic for anybody whose prompt interested me the most! So thank you to Kris aka @ohyomina on Twitter for getting me out of my writer's block and suggesting this awesome prompt:</p><p>"jeongmi - mina is a lonely rich ceo (or smth like that) and she buys jeongyeon, an android, to keep her company. (kinda like detroit: become human where jeongyeon slowly starts to feel human emotion)"</p><p>A huge THANK YOU to Yssa and Emily for yelling with me while I was writing this fic AJKSFHJKASK </p><p>Also, you don't need to have watched or played the game to understand this fic. I kept the details vague and simple :)</p><p>Title comes from Christina Perri's 'Human'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>"CyberLife androids are machines that closely mimic humans in appearance and structure. Internally they feature biocomponents, synthetic organs that roughly mirror the organ systems of humans, and Thirium 310 or "blue blood" that circulates energy and electronic information throughout the android body. On their right temple, they bear a circular LED that visibly identifies them as androids and lights up in blue, yellow, or red, depending to their mental processing and condition."</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>MODEL RK200-1</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>SERIAL#: 111 010 015</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>BIOS 7.4 REVISION 0483</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>STARTING...</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>LOADING OS…</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>SYSTEM INITIALIZATION…</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS… OK </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS… OK</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>INITIALIZING AI ENGINE… OK</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>MEMORY STATUS…</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>ALL SYSTEMS </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>OK</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[YOU ARE READY]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>RK200-1 opens her eyes after her system finishes the start-up. A quick look around tells her that she's at an android shop and in display for the world to see. A few humans are walking around, admiring other models encased behind glass walls. RK200-1 watches a young girl pointing excitedly at an android designed for housekeeping before a man suddenly comes into her peripheral view. </p><p> </p><p>"This is a special android. Very unique. Perfect for companionship," the man says, gesturing to where RK200-1 stands. Using facial recognition features, RK200-1 checks Cyberlife Cloud for his records and identifies him as Park Jinyoung. 48 years old. A human supervisor for the VB800 androids working here. There's not much about him that's been recorded. Apparently, he tried music but failed and now he's here. </p><p> </p><p>A woman approaches from behind. RK200-1 looks at her and identifies her as Myoui Mina. Born in Japan, raised in South Korea. 23 years old. CEO to Myoui Corp, a powerful pharmaceutical company. With a quick search in the Cloud, RK200-1 has already skimmed through several articles regarding Mina's achievements and wealth. She puts this newfound information away, saving it for another time. </p><p> </p><p>Mina peers at the android. "What makes it special?" </p><p> </p><p>"Cyberlife has only released a few dozen RK200 around," Jinyoung explains, "but they have more advanced features than the average android. You’d be surprised at how perceptive they are of your needs. But if you don’t have a name for it yet, we can randomize one for you from the system.”</p><p> </p><p>RK200-1 stares at Mina who looks away after a few seconds. </p><p> </p><p>"Randomize it," she says.</p><p> </p><p>Jinyoung nods. “Register a random name, RK200-1.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[SEARCHING… RANDOMIZING… REGISTERING…] </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[MY NAME IS <span class="u">JEONGYEON</span>]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>RK200-1 bows deeply and does as she is told. "Hello, my name is Jeongyeon. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife to keep you company." </p><p> </p><p>"Good. Jeongyeon, you are registered under Myoui Mina as of March 24, 2020."</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon bows. "Understood." </p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't move for a moment, her eyes shifting from Jeongyeon to the surroundings around her. Then she nods, apparently satisfied, and tells Jinyoung that she'll finalize the purchase. While this happens, Jeongyeon scans the woman's vitals—her temperature, heart rate, any visible wounds she might not have noticed—and clears her to be healthy enough. </p><p> </p><p>"Just sign here and you're good to go," Jinyoung says. Once all necessary papers have been signed and the payment has been processed, Mina fixes her hair and gestures for Jeongyeon to follow her. </p><p> </p><p>"We'll be taking my car," her new owner says, "You can drive, I assume?" </p><p> </p><p>"While I am primarily tasked to develop deep and meaningful relationships with humans to better suit their needs, I have a wide set of skills that can assist you in your daily activities. As long as this is what is required of me, Miss Mina," Jeongyeon answers quickly. </p><p> </p><p>Mina pauses right before the doors of the store. Jeongyeon takes a quick look outside, sees a city full of androids and humans walking on the same streets, and focuses her attention back on the woman who just purchased her. The silence stretches on. Jeongyeon knows she's being analyzed and so she keeps still, letting Mina analyze her.</p><p> </p><p>She patiently waits. </p><p> </p><p>"You won't have many tasks," Mina says curtly, "I already have Jihyo, my personal assistant in the office, I don't need another one back home." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon nods. "Then what do you need me for?" she questions. </p><p> </p><p>Her new owner thinks this question over with pursed lips. Then she shakes her head, crosses her arms and leaves the store. Jeongyeon follows. </p><p> </p><p>The resources androids are wired with ensure that Jeongyeon can maintain healthy relationships with humans. This means not pushing them when they aren't ready to answer and obeying the orders they deliver. It also means being able to sense when a conversation has been dropped. So Jeongyeon keeps her silence as her owner leads them to the car. </p><p> </p><p>"Just take me home, Jeongyeon," her new owner says. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TAKE MINA HOME]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon slides into the driver's seat of her owner's Maserati and accepts the keys given to her. As she starts up the vehicle, she raises her gaze to the rear mirror and sees Mina brushing her bangs back, revealing a pair of young but tired brown eyes. Jeongyeon looks away, taps on the GPS, and drives the vehicle down the busy highways of Seoul. </p><p> </p><p>It’s time to go home. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>When they arrive at Mina’s apartment, Jeongyeon waits for instructions as her new owner uses her ID to open the door. Once they’re inside, Jeongyeon scans the living area, identifying Mina’s personal taste based on the furniture and decoration she purchased. She'll need this for future purposes. Seconds after looking around, she finds a brown Dachshund sitting under the coffee table, fast asleep. When Mina walks in, she does so silently, her feet not making a sound on the carpeted floor. Jeongyeon follows.</p><p> </p><p>“Is there anything you’d like me to do, Miss Mina?” she asks.</p><p> </p><p>“Sssh,” Mina says with a finger pressed against her lips, “Rei is asleep.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[DON’T WAKE REI]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Rei,” Jeongyeon repeats. She looks back at the dog and scans his vitals. He seems well enough—nothing to report on. “Noted, Miss Mina.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina puts down her purse on the kitchen counter. Then she grabs a bottle of wine from the cupboard and pours herself a glass. Jeongyeon stands still, watching her movements carefully. </p><p> </p><p>“I think it’s time we set some rules, right?” Mina says, taking a sip of her drink as she leans against the counter. “About what you’re going to be doing for me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Jeongyeon responds. </p><p> </p><p>“I won’t ask for much.” Mina looks distant. Jeongyeon takes note of this. “I just…” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon steps forward, hands clasped behind her back. She scans Mina’s heart rate and sees a spike in its activity. Her owner is nervous but Jeongyeon doesn't have enough information to conclude why. </p><p> </p><p>"I just need you to settle here," Mina goes on, licking her wine-stained lips, "Just get comfortable. You can keep things in order while I'm at work. You can cook me dinner when I get home, take Rei out for walks, among other things. Hmmm. What are you programmed to do when I'm asleep?" </p><p> </p><p>"I have surveillance cameras installed while I'm in hibernation mode," Jeongyeon replies, "I notify the police when there are strange activities. If the worst happens—such as burglars breaking through the security systems—I am programmed to protect you until the authorities arrive."</p><p> </p><p>Mina's expression shifts. "I see." She leans forward, eyebrows furrowed together. "Do you get hurt, Jeongyeon?" </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon's answer is swift. "I do not feel pain." </p><p> </p><p>Mina sighs, shoulders deflating. "I wish I had that superpower," she says quietly, "Pain is wearisome to deal with." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon scans her owner's vitals once again but there's nothing that demands immediate supervision. She cannot identify what pain Mina is talking about. This is not part of her program. </p><p> </p><p>"If you are ever in distress or pain, I am programmed to assist you," Jeongyeon states, "All you have to do is tell me." </p><p> </p><p>Mina smiles. "I don't think you and I have the same concept of it, Jeongyeon." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon tilts her head to the side. "I do not understand." </p><p> </p><p>"That's okay." Mina finishes the rest of her drink. "Can you please prepare dinner for me? I need to rest for a bit." </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[PREPARE DINNER]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, Miss Mina." </p><p> </p><p>Before Jeongyeon can move to the fridge to look for ingredients, Mina raises her hand to stop her. "Please," her owner says, "Just call me Mina." </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[CALL HER MINA]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon nods. "Yes, Mina." </p><p> </p><p>Mina returns the nod before turning to the side, presumably to wait in her office. But before she can go, something inside Jeongyeon clicks and she raises her voice, “Wait, Mina.” </p><p> </p><p>Her new owner pauses and looks over her shoulder. “Yes?” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon smiles. “Happy birthday.” </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>The next day, Mina leaves for work at exactly 7:45.</p><p> </p><p>While she's away, Jeongyeon goes through a list of commands that have been given to her:</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[PREPARE REI'S FOOD]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon heads to the kitchen and searches the cupboards for the bags of dog food. As she does this, she can hear Rei walking around the living room behind her. She straightens her back once she’s grabbed the dog food. Then she pours a reasonable amount onto the bowl right in the corner of the kitchen. Once it’s all set up, she whistles for Rei to come. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[ARRANGE THE APARTMENT]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon learns that there’s not much to arrange in her owner’s apartment. Everything is already organized. Mina has impeccable taste when it comes to furniture and decoration, following a minimalist theme and an accent of mint green coloring the place. Her shelves are filled with books about a wide array of topics—ranging from medicine to technology. The latest video games for all consoles are stacked under the 84-inch television set Mina has installed on the wall. On the wall behind the TV, a few personal pictures are framed. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon stares at a picture of Mina and a man she identifies as her father. Myoui Akira. Deceased. Died at the age of 65 years old. The records in the Cyberlife Cloud have his case classified as a suicide. In the picture, Mina is eight years old. She is smiling. Her father is not. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon reaches out and straightens the frame. There is no dust on it. Mina takes care of it well. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[WATER THE PLANT]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Mina grows yellow chrysanthemums in a pot on the kitchen windowsill. They’ve already matured but haven’t reached their full bloom yet. As Jeongyeon pours enough water for its sustenance, she consults the Cloud for information about this type of flower. Chrysanthemums are native in East Asia. Countless varieties exist in the world. The name itself is derived from two Ancient Greek words: <em>chrysos </em>which means gold and <em>anthemon </em>which means flower.</p><p> </p><p>They have several uses—ornamental, culinary, insecticidal and environmental. It also has different symbolisms across cultures and countries. In Japan, it symbolizes the Emperor and Imperial Family. In Korea, it expresses grief and lamentation. Overall, it’s most notably known for symbolizing neglected love. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon goes to her next task. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TAKE REI OUT FOR A WALK]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Rei,” Jeongyeon greets the Dachshund lying in the middle of the sofa, “Would you like to go on a walk with me?” </p><p> </p><p>Rei blinks at her but doesn’t rise from his spot. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon gently clips the leash on his collar and waits for him to get in the mood to walk. He continues to sit in silence, watching her with large beady eyes. Ten minutes pass. He still hasn’t risen. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you tired?” Jeongyeon questions, scanning the dog for his vitals. It’s clear that he’s old. Accordingly, his particular breed has a lifespan of 12 to 16 years. From the results of her scan, she can only guess that he must be 14 or 15 years old. For further confirmation, she consults the Cloud and searches for his records in the system. According to his vet, he is said to be 14 years old. His birthday has just passed.</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon reaches out and pats him on the head. At this gesture, Rei leans on his side, exposing his stomach. She rubs at his belly and he seems to enjoy it, letting out a soft whine. </p><p> </p><p>“We have to go on a walk,” she says, “Mina ordered me to.” </p><p> </p><p>The mention of his owner’s name gets Rei to perk up. He stands up and jumps down from the couch, dragging Jeongyeon along with him. Jeongyeon follows obediently. After they leave the apartment, she makes sure the door is locked and activates the security system. Just as Mina told her to do so. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[MAKE DINNER FOR MINA]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>After taking Rei out for a walk, Jeongyeon consults the Cloud for recipes that Mina might enjoy. Because she doesn’t know much about her new owner, she decides to go for a classic Korean dish based on what's inside the fridge: stir-fried noodles with kimchi and fried eggs.</p><p> </p><p>An hour later, Jeongyeon sets the table, feeds Rei his dinner and stands patiently by the door for Mina to arrive. </p><p> </p><p>When the clock reads 7:06 PM, the door swings open. Jeongyeon recognizes the telltale sound of an identification card being swiped. Mina steps inside, rubbing her neck and letting out a soft sigh of relief once she takes off her heels. Jeongyeon steps forward.</p><p> </p><p>"Good evening, Mina," she greets, bowing deeply.</p><p> </p><p>Mina jumps and then relaxes once she realizes it's just Jeongyeon. "Hello, Jeongyeon," she says, returning the bow, "How was your day?" </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon proceeds to go over her tasks. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[PREPARE REI'S FOOD… OK]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[ARRANGE THE APARTMENT… OK]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[WATER THE PLANT… OK]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TAKE REI OUT FOR A WALK… OK]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[PREPARE DINNER FOR MINA… OK]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[ALL TASKS ARE COMPLETE]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Today was good," Jeongyeon replies, "I've done everything you've asked of me." </p><p> </p><p>Mina nods. "Okay. Thank you."</p><p> </p><p>"Dinner is ready." </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be there in a second.” Mina heads to the bathroom to freshen up and deposit her things in the bedroom. Jeongyeon watches her go. When Mina passes by the living room, the android notices her glancing at the picture frame on the wall—the one with her father. Her new owner lingers for a few seconds before she shakes her head and continues on her way. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It goes on like this for the following weeks. </p><p> </p><p>Mina leaves the apartment by 7:45. Jeongyeon feeds Rei first thing in the morning, then arranges the apartment, waters the plant, takes the dog out for a quick walk around the neighborhood and returns to prepare dinner. Mina always arrives a little after 7:00 PM, tired but very polite nonetheless. </p><p> </p><p>During dinnertime, Mina and Jeongyeon don’t talk much. Her owner is too busy reading through countless paperwork as she eats her meals in relative silence. Jeongyeon takes this time to clean up Rei’s bowl and bring him outside so that he can relieve himself. When she returns, Mina has already cleaned up her plate and put it in the dishwashing machine.</p><p> </p><p>On the weekends, Mina stays cooped up in her office and only comes out for meals. During this time, Rei keeps her company. This leaves Jeongyeon in the kitchen, staring at the pot of yellow chrysanthemums on the windowsill and watching it bloom as each day passes. </p><p> </p><p>It’s a routine—one that Jeongyeon follows diligently every single day.</p><p> </p><p>Until Mina breaks it. </p><p> </p><p>One Saturday morning, Jeongyeon hears the door to Mina’s bedroom open and turns to find her owner standing in the hallway, wearing a mint green hoodie and looking as if she just woke up. Mina waves at her android while rubbing her eyes tiredly. </p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Mina,” Jeongyeon greets, bowing deeply, “You’re up early. What do you want for breakfast?” </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll cook for myself, Jeongyeon,” Mina says, heading to the kitchen, “I need to do something other than read through important documents. I think I’m going to lose my mind.” </p><p> </p><p>“Noted, Mina.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon follows her owner into the kitchen and is quick to set Rei’s food. She can hear him walking towards her from the living room, already used to the routine. When he nuzzles his nose against her leg, Jeongyeon stills. </p><p> </p><p>“He likes you,” Mina comments lightly. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Jeongyeon says, patting the dog on his head, “I can see that.” </p><p> </p><p>“He’s a very special dog. I got him when I was in middle school.” Mina starts prepping vegetables as she talks fondly about Rei; “I begged my parents for <em>years </em>just to have a dog. And when I did get him, I was so happy that my nose bled.” </p><p> </p><p>“Were you okay?” Jeongyeon asks, rising to her feet, “A nosebleed can be very severe.”</p><p> </p><p>Mina waves away the android’s question. “I was fine,” she says, “Plus, it happened years ago. I guess I was just very happy to finally get a dog.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon smiles. She understands what happiness is, even though she hasn’t felt it herself. “I believe Rei must’ve been very happy to be with you too,” she says, “Everytime I take him out to walk, he only does so after I mention your name.” </p><p> </p><p>“Ah.” Mina glances over at Rei, who is now happily munching on the dog food. “That must mean he misses me, I guess.”  </p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” Jeongyeon stands in the corner and waits for new instructions. “I would have to agree.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina slightly shakes her head as she returns to preparing her food. "You don't have to do that, Jeongyeon," she quietly says. </p><p> </p><p>The android tilts her head to the side as she tries to process what the owner just said. "Do what?" she questions. </p><p> </p><p>"Stand in the corner."</p><p> </p><p>"I am programmed to wait for new instructions." </p><p> </p><p>Mina puts down the knife she's holding and looks at her android. "You can sit down while you wait," she says, "After all, this is your home too." </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon goes over what she's been told. "My home?" she repeats slowly. She doesn't know how to process this. There is no <em>my home </em>in her program. Only Mina's home. The one she is tasked to take care of. </p><p> </p><p>Mina sighs. "Yes," she tells her gently, "An android's job is to keep me company, right? You can keep me company while sitting down. Please make yourself comfortable." </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon quickly pulls up a chair and takes a seat. Mina nods, apparently satisfied, before she turns back to slicing vegetables. Jeongyeon folds her hands on top of the table and stares at the surface. </p><p> </p><p>"Do androids need food?" Mina asks, back still turned. </p><p> </p><p>"No," comes Jeongyeon's swift response, "Androids don't need food." </p><p> </p><p>"I… didn't know what I expected for an answer." Mina chuckles lightly. "Sometimes, I think it's bothersome that humans have to constantly eat to gain energy but a warm meal <em>is </em>something that I always look forward to every time I come home." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon stares. "You look forward to coming here?" </p><p> </p><p>Mina nods, shooting a small smile over her shoulder at Jeongyeon. "Yes," she says, "Thank you for cooking."</p><p> </p><p>The android fixates on the words. "You're welcome," she says after a moment. </p><p> </p><p>Later that night, after Mina heads off to bed, Jeongyeon does as she's been told earlier that day. She sits on the couch in the living room and stays in that position for an entire hour. Then, she decides to make herself comfortable by lying on her back. Now she's staring up at the ceiling. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>This is your home too. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>She closes her eyes and waits for morning to come. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Rei,” Jeongyeon calls, “Breakfast is ready.”</p><p> </p><p>But Rei doesn’t come walking in like he normally does. All Jeongyeon hears is silence. And laboured breathing. She rises to her feet from the kitchen floor and heads to the living room. There, she finds Rei lying down on his side, eyes closed, mouth open and tongue peeking out. When Jeongyeon checks his vitals, there is not much to report on. He doesn’t have a fever. He is just… <em>tired</em>, as what the humans would say.</p><p> </p><p>However, it’s only the beginning of the day… </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon searches the Cloud for more information. What she finds doesn’t look too promising. </p><p> </p><p>She raises a hand and presses the LED placed on her right temple. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[CALLING MINA…]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hello?”</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Mina,” Jeongyeon greets, “I know that you’ve only left for work but I think there’s a problem with Rei.” </p><p> </p><p>Silence on the other end. Jeongyeon can hear Mina breathing. </p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?” her owner asks carefully.</p><p> </p><p>“He is displaying signs of old age,” Jeongyeon responds, “He is dying.” </p><p> </p><p>“<em>Jeongyeon</em>—” For a split second, Mina’s voice rises in volume. “Don’t say things like that.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon frowns. “Like what?” </p><p> </p><p>At the other end of the phone call, Jeongyeon hears Mina let out a deep sigh. “There are some things,” her owner begins, “that you need to say carefully. Because it can hurt people.” </p><p> </p><p>The android shakes her head. “I don’t understand.” </p><p> </p><p>“Of course you don’t.” </p><p> </p><p>“Did I hurt you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not intentionally.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon’s frown deepens. “I do not wish to hurt you, intentionally or unintentionally, Mina.”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t matter.” Mina clears her throat. “Anyway, please bring Rei to his vet. I’ll send you the address. I’ll meet you there, okay?” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[BRING REI TO THE VET]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Mina.” </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Jeongyeon.” </p><p> </p><p>The call ends. Jeongyeon takes Rei into her arms, waits for Mina’s confirmation regarding an address and leaves the apartment. Meanwhile, the dog continues to pant heavily, as if he has difficulty breathing. The android lays a gentle hand near his throat, checking to see if there is any obstruction to his airway, and finds nothing. She also checks his heartbeat and sees that it’s moving slower than normal. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon might not be a licensed veterinarian but she knows what dying looks like. </p><p> </p><p>At the clinic, Jeongyeon and Rei only have to wait for a few minutes before Mina is running up to the entrance, hair windswept and eyes wide with panic. At the sight of the android and her dog in the waiting room, she relaxes considerably. Jeongyeon senses her heartbeat slowing down to its normal pace. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Mina,” Jeongyeon greets, standing up and passing Rei into her owner’s arms, “Dr. Chou told us to wait for a few minutes.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina holds Rei close and nods. “Okay.” She takes a seat and leans down to whisper into her dog’s ear. “You’ll be okay, baby. Everything is going to be okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon moves to stand in the corner and wait for instructions but Mina shakes her head and gestures for her to sit down. After a moment, the android follows. It’s quiet. Jeongyeon can hear the sounds of other animals in the back room, identifying them to be dogs, cats, even birds. It’s quite early in the morning. Jeongyeon hopes that Mina doesn’t mind the noise, knowing that she doesn’t like it when things are too loud. </p><p> </p><p>“Mina-unnie?”</p><p> </p><p>The assistant doctor emerges from the backroom—a tall woman with her long, dark hair tied in a ponytail behind her head. Jeongyeon easily identifies her as Chou Tzuyu. 21 years old. Born in Tainan, Taiwan. Moved to South Korea during high school and graduated college with flying colors. In her free time, she is known to volunteer at dog shelters along with the owner of the clinic, Hirai Momo. </p><p> </p><p>Tzuyu is young but capable. </p><p> </p><p>“Tzuyu-yah,” Mina greets with a smile, “It’s nice to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>Tzuyu returns the smile. “We didn’t have a schedule today so I was surprised when your… android showed up.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.” Mina clears her throat. “Rei didn’t sound too good over the phone so I asked it to bring him here.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon watches the conversation and says nothing. </p><p> </p><p>“We’ll have a look at him,” Tzuyu says, “Momo-unnie is still prepping but you can come in already.”</p><p> </p><p>Mina stands up, hugging Rei close to her chest. Jeongyeon does the same thing. However, when Mina heads to the back and Jeongyeon tries to follow, Tzuyu raises a hand and gives the android an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry,” the doctor says, “Androids aren’t allowed back here.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon looks over at her owner, who has stopped walking to watch the scene. She waits for instructions.</p><p> </p><p>“You can wait in the car,” Mina says.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[WAIT IN THE CAR]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Mina,” Jeongyeon replies, bowing her head and leaving the premises. </p><p> </p><p>Once inside the car, Jeongyeon raises her hand and adjusts the rear view mirror. When she sees her own eyes, she pauses. Then she turns her head so that she can see the circular LED engraved in her temple and touches it with the tip of her fingers. </p><p> </p><p>At once, it emits a flickering yellow color. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Mina is quiet when she leaves the vet with Rei. Jeongyeon raises her head when the door to the car swings open and her owner slides in. The dog is now sleeping in her arms. </p><p> </p><p>Before she can ask, Jeongyeon catches sight of the tears brimming Mina’s eyes. It takes a split second for her program to tell her that Mina is crying. So she decides not to say anything. She just waits for new instructions. And when Mina tells her to bring them home, Jeongyeon does so without another word. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Based on what Jeongyeon observes, her prognosis was correct. </p><p> </p><p>Rei doesn’t move around as much as he used to before. With each day that passes, he grows weaker and weaker. Before, Mina was always gone for the entire day. But now, she comes back during lunchtime and spends most of her time talking to her dog in low whispers. And everytime she leaves, Rei never moves from his spot. Jeongyeon sits next to him during the afternoon and just listens to him breathe. Sometimes, when he whines, she reaches out and runs a hand down his mane.  </p><p> </p><p>One day, after lunch break is over and Mina returns to the office, Jeongyeon takes her respective spot next to Rei in the living room. It is quiet between them. She can hear his laboured panting slowing down. Rei’s eyes fixate on the android. When she gently pets him, his legs twitch in response. </p><p> </p><p>He isn’t doing too good. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re a good boy, Rei,” she tells him, “You are very polite and obedient. Mina is lucky to have you.” </p><p> </p><p>The dog whines. Jeongyeon offers him a smile and moves her hand to another spot he likes. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure she will miss you,” she goes on. There’s a moment of silence. Jeongyeon furrows her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side. “And I will miss you as well,” she adds softly, continuing to pet Rei.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon’s hand stills. Her LED flashes a bright red. </p><p> </p><p>When Mina arrives that night, it is dark in the apartment.</p><p> </p><p>“Jeongyeon,” Mina calls, reaching out and reaching for the light switch. </p><p> </p><p>The room is flooded with light. Jeongyeon raises her head and sees her owner standing by the door. She rises to her feet, walks up to Mina and takes a deep bow. “I’m sorry,” she says.  </p><p> </p><p>Mina’s breath hitches. “Is Rei—?” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon nods. For some reason, she cannot look at Mina in the eye. “I’m very sorry for your loss,” she whispers, “He passed peacefully in his sleep.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina drops her bag on the floor and hurries to the middle of the living room. Jeongyeon closes her eyes and remains rooted in her spot. Her hands start shaking. She needs to self-diagnose later tonight. It seems like there’s something wrong with her program. Because there’s a sudden ache in her chest—like all her wires have been mixed up and her biocomponents are heating up as a side effect. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>It’s almost as if… she is in pain too. </p><p> </p><p>And when she hears the stifled cries of Mina in the background, the ache deepens. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me when he passed?” Mina quietly asks some time into the night. “You should’ve told me so that I could come home sooner.” She’s standing at the balcony, staring up at the starless sky. A blanket covers her shoulders, given to her by Jeongyeon. </p><p> </p><p>The android looks at her owner. “Because it would hurt you,” she replies, “You told me not to say things that could hurt people. And this would hurt the most because it’s the passing of your dog.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina’s eyes are red when she turns to look at Jeongyeon. “You have a lot to learn when it comes to humans,” she murmurs, reaching up and rubbing her neck, “Just because it hurts people to say something doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t say it.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon frowns. “I don’t understand.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina smiles. It doesn’t look like a happy smile. “I don’t too,” she says, leaning against the railing and staring at Jeongyeon, “Humans are complicated. We say we don’t want to get hurt but say or do things that get us hurt anyway. It must be very frustrating to watch, especially when you’re an android who doesn’t have any feelings.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon doesn’t say anything. </p><p> </p><p>Mina sighs and shakes her head. “Sometimes,” she mumbles, “I wish I didn’t have feelings too.” </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>With Rei gone, Jeongyeon’s list of tasks grows smaller. </p><p> </p><p>The apartment feels smaller too. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>On a Wednesday morning, Mina gets the flu and has to stay home. She stays cooped up in her office, still trying to finish her work and meet her deadlines. She only takes a break when she gets too tired or when her head hurts. Jeongyeon thinks that she works too hard. </p><p> </p><p>After Jeongyeon buys the prescribed medicine and prepares chicken soup for her owner, she knocks on the door to the office and enters when Mina says, “come in.” Inside, she sees Mina with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and hunched over her laptop. There are crumpled up tissues on the table and the floor. The room is disorganized. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Mina,” Jeongyeon greets, depositing the meds, soup and glass of water next to her owner, “It’s been four hours since your last intake of medicine. Please drink this and have some soup to make you feel better.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina sighs and looks up from her laptop. “Thank you, Jeongyeon.” She does as she’s told and drinks the medicine. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon reaches out and places her hand on Mina’s forehead to check her temperature. Not too high but still above normal. The medicine should work soon. “38.2 C,” she states, “Four hours ago, it was 38.5 C.” </p><p> </p><p>“That means it’s working,” Mina responds with a small grin. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon returns the grin. “Yes, that is a possibility.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon moves her hand away and goes to pick up the crumpled tissues around Mina’s work area. She throws them into the trash can and arranges a few things that are disorganized. Behind her, she doesn’t see Mina’s eyes following her every movement. </p><p> </p><p>“Jeongyeon,” Mina calls suddenly. </p><p> </p><p>The android straightens her back and turns to her owner. “Yes, Mina.” </p><p> </p><p>“What do you do when I’m not here?” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon’s answer is swift, “Wait for you to come back.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina seems surprised. “Really?” she questions, “I thought you’d be… charging or something.” </p><p> </p><p>“Our battery life can last up to a hundred years,” Jeongyeon replies, “We hibernate to conserve energy, despite it not being necessary. Every day after I finish my tasks, I wait for you to come back. I wait for new instructions from you. That is what I am designed to do, after all.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina stares up at her, eyebrows furrowed together in contemplation. Then she shakes her head, shuts off her laptop and tightens the blanket around her shoulders. At Jeongyeon’s confused head tilt, Mina just gestures for her to follow her into the living room. </p><p> </p><p>"Are you done with work?" Jeongyeon asks with a frown. </p><p> </p><p>"Work can wait," Mina says, taking a seat on the couch, "I think we should watch a movie." </p><p> </p><p>"A movie?" At Mina's beckoning, Jeongyeon sits down as well. "Why should we watch a movie?" </p><p> </p><p>"Because I want to," comes Mina's reply. She points at the flat screen TV. "I want you to pick a movie for me, Jeongyeon."</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[PICK A MOVIE FOR MINA]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon searches the Cloud for a random movie and switches to Netflix using wireless connection. </p><p> </p><p>"<em>Star Wars</em>," she declares and the screen reflects the first part of the trilogy, waiting to be played, "I chose that randomly." </p><p> </p><p>Mina frowns and shakes her head. "Hmm," she says, "Do you have something else?" </p><p> </p><p>"Do you have any specifications?"</p><p> </p><p>"Something funny."</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon searches again. This time, the screen shows the movie cover of <em>Legally Blonde. </em>"I have read the reviews for this one," she says, "It has a 70% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes." </p><p> </p><p>Mina lets out a sigh and shakes her head for the second time since they sat down. "Maybe," she begins, tapping her chin, "<em>you </em>should choose one that you'd like to watch." </p><p> </p><p>"Me?" </p><p> </p><p>Mina nods, smiling. "Is there anything you'd want to watch?" </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon shakes her head slowly. "This is not in my program, Mina." </p><p> </p><p>"Come on," her owner insists, "Just browse through the channels like a regular person and pick the movie that interests you the most. No prior research, okay?" </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[PICK THE MOVIE THAT INTERESTS YOU]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon does as she's told and scrolls through the movie listings. After a moment's pause, she picks <em>Marley &amp; Me. </em>Next to her on the couch, Mina makes a soft sound of surprise at her choice. </p><p> </p><p>"Why'd you pick that one?" she asks. </p><p> </p><p>The android stares at the poster. "Because it has a dog," she answers, thinking of Rei.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon reaches up and touches her chest, fingers spread over her synthetic heart. With her eyes closed, she listens to its steady rhythm. The ache from before returns. The last time she self-diagnosed, there was nothing wrong. And yet, she doesn't feel right. </p><p> </p><p>Androids aren't supposed to feel anything. </p><p> </p><p>"Okay." The sigh that slips past Mina's lips sounds a bit shaky. "We'll watch that." </p><p> </p><p>Halfway through the movie, Mina's head drops on Jeongyeon's shoulder, having succumbed to her exhaustion. The android doesn't move, knowing better than to rouse her owner from her slumber. She continues to watch the movie, taking everything in. And when it ends, the ache in her chest feels more prominent now, like something has opened up inside and she can't fix it, despite the multiple diagnostic tests she's already run. </p><p> </p><p>The movie ends and the credits roll up.  </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon raises a hand and wipes away the tears in her eyes. </p><p> </p><p><em>Why am I crying</em>?</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>This is not part of her program.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, it <em>hurts. </em></p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon looks over at her owner and carefully slips from underneath her. Then she's quick to take Mina into her arms, hold her close and carry her to the bedroom. Mina needs adequate rest. She can't have that when she's sleeping on the couch. </p><p> </p><p>Inside her owner's room, Jeongyeon keeps the lights turned off. She uses her night vision to maneuver her way in the darkness and gently place Mina on the right side of her bed. Mina stirs but her slumber remains undisturbed. The android pulls the blanket up, covering the human more snugly, and starts to walk away—</p><p> </p><p>A hand curls around Jeongyeon's wrist. </p><p> </p><p>"Don't go," Mina says. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[DON'T GO]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Are you awake, Mina?" Jeongyeon asks, standing still. </p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't answer. Instead, she tugs Jeongyeon closer until the android has no choice but to lower herself next to the bed. It's dark but thanks to her night vision and the rapidly blinking LED on her temple, Jeongyeon can see that Mina's eyes are still closed but her lips are moving—</p><p> </p><p>"<em>Please don’t leave me Nayeon-unnie,</em>" Mina whispers. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon's LED flashes yellow, emitting a soft glow against her owner's features. She doesn't tell Mina that she isn't Nayeon. Because she knows, without being told, that Mina will only get hurt if she is reminded of this. </p><p> </p><p>"Okay," she says instead, nodding at Mina's request, "I'll stay." </p><p> </p><p>Mina moves to the left side of the bed and Jeongyeon slips under the covers. She lies on her back, the same way she did when she was trying to get comfortable on the couch, and stares up at the ceiling. Next to her, Mina's grip on her wrist remains undeterred. It's quiet, except for Mina's breathing. </p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," Mina says and her breathing evens out. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon thinks of the flower she's tasked to water every day. Yellow chrysanthemums<em>. </em>They're out in their full bloom now—beautiful and glorious under the rays of sunlight shining through the window. But Jeongyeon knows what they symbolize. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon has been with Mina for a few months now. And she knows that Mina is the type of person who doesn't do things on a whim. She knows Mina spends most of her time analyzing her documents and working to bring more success into her company. She knows Mina didn't get that plant simply because she thought it was pretty. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Neglected love. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon closes her eyes and waits for morning to come. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Mina takes a few books from her bookshelf and places them on the coffee table. Jeongyeon looks up from where she's seated on the couch and stares at her owner. It is two days after she got the flu. "What do you want me to do, Mina?" Jeongyeon questions. </p><p> </p><p>"These are some of my favorite books and poems," Mina answers, "I want you to read them." </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[READ THE BOOKS]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Okay," Jeongyeon replies, opening the first one on the pile: <em>Emily Dickinson: A Collection of Poems</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Mina, already dressed for work and running a bit late, lingers by the door. </p><p> </p><p>"Is that all you want me to do?" Jeongyeon asks. </p><p> </p><p>"Yes," Mina answers with a soft smile, "I want to hear your thoughts later on." </p><p> </p><p>"My thoughts?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes." Mina tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and Jeongyeon's eyes follow the movement. "I'm sure you have plenty of thoughts in that advanced brain of yours." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon stares at the books and nods her head. "Okay," she says, "I will do as I'm told."</p><p> </p><p>"Good, I'll see you later then." Mina heads to the door but not before she glances over her shoulder and adds, "Goodbye, Jeongyeon-ah." </p><p> </p><p>It's automatic. After all, Jeongyeon is designed to be a companion for humans. She hears the informal way she is spoken to and does the same thing. "Goodbye, Mina-yah. I will be here when you get home," she murmurs, raising her hand in a wave. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>This is your home too. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon catches the wide smile Mina throws her way and commits it to memory. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Why does her smile make me happy? </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"I've finished your books, Mina-yah," Jeongyeon says when her owner arrives from the office. </p><p> </p><p>Mina, despite looking very exhausted, lets out a soft chuckle. "That was fast." </p><p> </p><p>"I have many of these books in my storage already," Jeongyeon admits, "but I have detected a pattern."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh?" Mina takes off her scarf and then peels off her heels, looking very interested at what Jeongyeon is saying. "And what is that pattern?" </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon pats the books, already arranged in a neat pile according to alphabetical order. "These are not your books," she points out, "In fact, these are the ones you'd buy when you're a college student studying English Literature. And you were not a Literature major, Mina. You were a Business major." </p><p> </p><p>Mina stills, eyes fixed on the android standing in the middle of the room. "And so what if I was a Business major?" she asks. </p><p> </p><p>"It means that you were given these books," Jeongyeon answers, glancing at the flower in the kitchen, "by somebody who was a Literature major, specifically in Seoul National University." </p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't say anything for a while. She wordlessly heads to the kitchen, opens a cupboard and pours herself a glass of wine. Jeongyeon follows her every move. For some reason, her entire system is gearing up for a flight-or-fight response. She cannot predict what Mina will say next. </p><p> </p><p>"They belonged to my best friend in high school," Mina says a few minutes later, "Kim Dahyun. She studied Literature for a year at Seoul National University, yes. And these books were a gift." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon approaches her owner, searching the Cloud for any records regarding Kim Dahyun. "She's been living in Europe for the past three years," the android states, "She is finishing her degree there.”</p><p> </p><p>Mina nods. "Yes, I know. I keep track of her. Check to see if she’s safe." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon shares in the nod. Then she hesitates. "May I ask you a question, Mina-yah?" she asks in a low voice.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Mina's heart rate suddenly spikes, based on what Jeongyeon can detect. "I thought androids were supposed to know everything," Mina muses, taking a slow sip of her drink. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon shakes her head. "It is impossible to know everything."</p><p> </p><p>"I should have a word with your creator then," Mina says with a grin. </p><p> </p><p>"Son Chaeyoung of CyberLife is a very busy person," the android states, "You would have to schedule an appointment months beforehand. But if you have any complaints about me, it's best that you reach out to our Customer Support. I will call them for you, if you want—" </p><p> </p><p>"No," Mina says firmly, the grin slipping away, "There's no need."</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon nods. "Okay, I understand.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina sighs and takes another sip of her drink. "What was your question?" she murmurs. </p><p> </p><p>For some reason, Jeongyeon hesitates once again. In the reflection of the fridge standing next to her, she sees her LED blinking a bright yellow. She can hear Mina’s heartbeat quickening in its pace, clearly on edge as well. </p><p> </p><p>“What happened to the people around you?” she asks quietly. </p><p> </p><p>Mina bristles. “Are you talking about Dahyun?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Jeongyeon replies, “and Nayeon as well. You mentioned her name the other night.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon cannot describe it but Mina’s entire body seems to have deflated as a response to the question posed. Her gaze wavers, her hand drops to rest on the countertop and the overall air around her seems to have darkened considerably. Jeongyeon understands that she’s asked a personal question that her owner might not have been prepared for and yet, she doesn’t take it back nor does she change the topic. Because she wants to understand. She wants to understand why Mina is alone. She wants to understand why Mina seems so… <em>sad</em>. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Why do I want to understand? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“There’s a reason why I bought you,” Mina begins, leaning forward on the counter and staring up at the android under hooded lids, “and that reason is to keep me company. Because I have no one, Jeongyeon-ah. I’ve pushed all of them away because I don’t want to lose them.” </p><p> </p><p>Something clicks in Jeongyeon’s brain. “You were protecting them,” she states. </p><p> </p><p>Mina nods, looking tired and resigned. “Yes,” she agrees, “I was.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon looks over to the living room, where she sees the lone frame of Mina and her father posing for the camera. “Is it because of the company?” she asks again, “Because of Myoui Corp?” </p><p> </p><p>Silence. </p><p> </p><p>“You’d be shocked at the things people would do for money,” Mina continues softly. She doesn’t sound upset but begrudgingly accepting of her fate; “Humans are both predictable and unpredictable, Jeongyeon-ah. When we do terrible things, it is both tragic and unsurprising. There’s a saying that all humans are born evil. Would you agree with that?” </p><p> </p><p>“I cannot say,” is Jeongyeon’s response. </p><p> </p><p>“I think I believe it,” Mina says, drumming her fingers on the surface of the table, “Because when I was in high school, my father was murdered for our company’s secrets. I had to fill in his shoes at an early age.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon frowns, recalling the files about Myoui Akira. “But the records show that he committed suicide…” </p><p> </p><p>Mina laughs, even though there isn’t anything funny about the situation. “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, Jeongyeon-ah.” She finishes the rest of her drink and washes the glass under the tap. As she does so, she continues to open up; “My father died for Myoui Corp so I spent my entire life making sure that his legacy wouldn’t be for nothing. I had to sacrifice friendships along the way. Like Dahyun. I was the one who contacted the University of Cambridge to give her a scholarship just so that she could be as far away from me as possible.”</p><p> </p><p>“That must’ve been difficult for you,” Jeongyeon whispers. </p><p> </p><p>Mina smiles, even though it doesn’t reach her eyes. “It was for the best.” </p><p> </p><p>The silence stretches on. Jeongyeon looks at the flower sitting on the kitchen windowsill and decides to risk it. “And what about Nayeon?” she asks quietly. She remembers what Mina had said that night: <em>Please don’t leave me, Nayeon-unnie</em>. She can still hear the desperation and longing in her owner’s voice when those words passed through her lips and settled in the darkness. </p><p> </p><p>Mina’s breath hitches. “Nayeon…” she whispers. Her voice is hushed and quiet. The name is spoken with both fondness and pain, all wrapped up in two syllables. Upon closer inspection, Jeongyeon sees that Mina’s eyes have watered and tears are threatening to spill out of them. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[RESEARCHING ‘HOW TO COMFORT A HUMAN BEING...’]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon walks around the counter and wraps Mina in a tight embrace. </p><p> </p><p>Mina lets out a surprised yelp: “Jeongyeon-ah—” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay,” Jeongyeon says, knowing what she needs to do now, “You can cry.” </p><p> </p><p>“But—” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re sad, right?” Jeongyeon asks as she gently pats the back of Mina’s head and squeezes her shoulders comfortingly. “From my research, it says that humans feel better if they hug another person or if they cry out their feelings. You can do both. I might not be a person but I have been designed to be a very close imitation of one—” </p><p> </p><p>Mina shakes her head, burying her face against the crook of Jeongyeon’s neck and bringing her hands up to return the embrace. “It’s okay,” she mumbles, “It’s okay if you’re not a person. This is enough.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon smiles. “I’m glad to be of service.”</p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't end up telling her about Nayeon but Jeongyeon doesn't mind. Because it <em>does </em>feel as if Mina has shared the burden with her nonetheless. Later, the human falls asleep with her hand locked around Jeongyeon's wrist. Keeping her close and keeping her tethered. </p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," is the last thing Mina whispers to her. </p><p> </p><p>The red glow of her LED doesn’t go unnoticed. Jeongyeon raises a hand and presses it against her chest, feeling something inside stir. As if something is about to wake up…</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon goes through Mina's books again when her owner leaves for the day. She sits in the middle of the living room after having completed her tasks and flips through the pages. Despite already knowing every poem and book in existence, Jeongyeon allows herself to feel what Mina must feel when she reads the books left behind by her best friend. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon comes across a passage in the Emily Dickinson collection and stares at the words written in front of her: </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I have no life but this,  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>To lead it here;  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nor any death, but lest  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dispelled from there;  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Nor tie to earths to come,        </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nor action new,  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Except through this extent,  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The realm of you.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Her LED flashes yellow. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon thinks of Mina and only Mina. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Mina is… </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon doesn't think there is a word in any language across the world or history that best describes Myoui Mina. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Beautiful. Wonderful. Good. Stunning. Lonely. Brave. Amazing. Sad. Selfless. Kind. Intelligent. Warm. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon stares at her reflection on the coffee table and sees her LED flashing yellow once more. </p><p> </p><p>There is one word that best describes Jeongyeon. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Android. </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Something changes inside Jeongyeon later that night. </p><p> </p><p>Mina arrives home from the office, Jeongyeon sits with her as she eats, the two of them watch a movie, they talk about poems, Mina shares that her favorite is <em>Ozymandias</em>, Jeongyeon recites it from memory. </p><p> </p><p>"Why is it your favorite?" the android asks afterwards, staring at her owner and tracing the moles on her face—moles she's always known about but has never taken the time to admire. </p><p> </p><p>Mina smiles. Jeongyeon can identify the types of smiles Mina has. First, the <em>reserved</em>: a smile that shows no teeth, almost tight around the edges. Second, the <em>warm</em>: a smile that shows off her pearly-white teeth. Third, the <em>happy</em>: Jeongyeon likes this one the most. Because Mina's gums peek out and her eyes crinkle around the corners when she smiles bright and happy. She looks younger too. Less like the infamous CEO of Myoui Corp and more like a woman in her early twenties. </p><p> </p><p>This time, Mina's smile is warm. It's always warm when she looks at Jeongyeon. </p><p> </p><p>"Because it shows how fragile humans are," Mina shares, "Everything we build—the legacy we are all so obsessed with. None of it will matter in the end." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon sees a contradiction. "Is that how you feel about Myoui Corp?" </p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't answer. Jeongyeon doesn't push. The silence between them grows. </p><p> </p><p>"No," Mina says with a hint of finality, "That's not how I feel about Myoui Corp." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon nods. She understands that sometimes, humans lie. Not because they don't want to be honest but because they don't want to face the truth. "Okay." </p><p> </p><p>Mina's smile is gone. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't ask Jeongyeon to accompany her in bed so the android stays outside, lying on the couch and staring up at the ceiling. Before, when she was asked to do this, all she did was wait for morning to come. But now, Jeongyeon spends her time <em>thinking. </em></p><p> </p><p>Androids are designed to think. But Jeongyeon isn't thinking about her tasks or her responsibilities. She doesn't think about the cars out in the streets or the electric current passing through all devices inside the building. Instead, she thinks of Mina. </p><p> </p><p>She always thinks of Mina. </p><p> </p><p>She thinks of Mina when she's alone in the apartment. She thinks of Mina when she's completing her tasks. She thinks of Mina even when she's hibernating. Because that is her design. This is the reason why she is here in the first place. </p><p> </p><p>Because of Mina. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>So close and yet so far… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon hears a door open behind her and sits up on the couch. There, illuminated by the glow of the bedroom light behind her, is Mina. She doesn't look like she slept well. </p><p> </p><p>The android checks her internal clock. It's a quarter half past 2 AM. </p><p> </p><p>"Is there anything you need, Mina?" she asks. </p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't say anything. She approaches the couch and takes a seat next to Jeongyeon. They're so close that their knees are touching. Jeongyeon can't recall a time where they sat so close like this, almost to the point that she can see the visible breath Mina inhales and exhales shakily. </p><p> </p><p>"Are you okay, Mina-yah?" Jeongyeon whispers. </p><p> </p><p>Mina's eyes are wet with unshed tears. Jeongyeon reaches out and wipes them away for her. At her touch, Mina shivers. </p><p> </p><p>"You're cold," she murmurs. </p><p> </p><p><em>Mina is warm</em>, Jeongyeon thinks, <em>and I am not. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," Jeongyeon says, leaning back. </p><p> </p><p>Mina shakes her head. "It's okay," she mumbles, reaching out and grabbing hold of Jeongyeon's wrist. "I just… I need someone right now." </p><p> </p><p>"To do what?"</p><p> </p><p>Mina's eyes are sad. "To hold me." </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[HOLD MINA]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon holds Mina, not because she was told to but because she <em>wants </em>to. She wraps her around Mina's shoulders and pulls her in. In response, Mina tucks her head under Jeongyeon's chin and presses her ear against the android's chest. </p><p> </p><p>"You have a heartbeat," Mina points out. </p><p> </p><p>"Synthetic organs," Jeongyeon replies, rubbing soothing circles against Mina's back, "We are designed to resemble humans as closely as possible." </p><p> </p><p>"I see." </p><p> </p><p>Silence. Jeongyeon doesn't stop thinking. </p><p> </p><p>"You remind me of Nayeon sometimes," Mina suddenly says, voice so low it's almost as if she doesn't want to be heard. </p><p> </p><p>But Jeongyeon hears her anyway. "How so?" </p><p> </p><p>"The way you hold me," Mina continues, "and the way you're always so quiet. Nayeon was quiet too, when we were together. She told me it was because she was always thinking of something." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon hums. </p><p> </p><p>"What are you thinking of, Jeongyeon?" </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon cannot lie. "You," she answers, noticing the sharp intake of breath Mina inhales. She hopes it wasn't the wrong answer. </p><p> </p><p>Mina is quiet for a very long time. </p><p> </p><p>"That was her answer too," she murmurs. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon searches the Cloud for Nayeon. There are many Nayeons in South Korea so it takes a while to pinpoint the exact person Mina is talking about. She didn't want to do research on her before because she didn't want to breach Mina's privacy. But her need to know trumps any other desire. </p><p> </p><p>"Im Nayeon," Jeongyeon says, identifying the closest possible watch and feeling Mina go still in her arms, "25 years old, born in Sangil-dong, Seoul, has one younger sister, Seoyeon, currently in college. Her mother, Cheon Seah, is a simple housewife. Her father, Jonghoon, was a marketing officer working at… Myoui Corp." </p><p> </p><p>Mina starts shaking. "Jeongyeon—"</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon continues to read the records in her mind's eye, "Im Nayeon is currently in Osaka, Japan. She is married to Minatozaki Sa—" </p><p> </p><p>Mina slips out of the android's hold and rises to her feet, pacing back and forth in the living room. "Stop, stop, <em>stop, STOP!</em>" she yells, hands covering her ears in an attempt to block out what the android is saying. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[STOP]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon does what she is told and grows quiet. </p><p> </p><p>"I met Nayeon because she would always wait for her father in the waiting room of Myoui Corp," Mina explains after a ringing silence, her entire body shaking with barely suppressed grief, "She never failed to… to say hi to me after I finished my duties. And then one day, I was working late and left the building at 10 PM. She was sleeping outside the front doors, having fallen asleep because she'd been waiting since late afternoon." </p><p> </p><p>Mina is crying now, tears streaming down her cheeks steadily. She presses a hand against her stomach, almost like she's going to be sick. Jeongyeon knows that she should do something but she is frozen. </p><p> </p><p>"I kept telling her that it wasn't safe for her," Mina continues, her voice shaking, "If she chose to be with me, she would <em>always </em>be in danger. She would always have to look over her shoulder or sleep with a gun under her bed. She would never know peace."</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon listens, eyes fixed on Mina's shaking lips. </p><p> </p><p>"She told me she could handle it," Mina whispers, closing her eyes, "and I believed it. We were <em>careful. </em>We never told anybody about our relationship. And for a short while, we were happy. But then… <em>they </em>went after her father." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon can hear Mina's heart rate beating faster and faster. </p><p> </p><p>"Im Jonghoon died because of Myoui Corp," Mina spits and Jeongyeon <em>hears </em>it—all the pain, resentment, guilt and sorrow Mina has held in for <em>years. </em>Now they are out in the open. </p><p> </p><p>Mina buries her face into her hands and continues to sob, <em>"Just like my own father</em>." She falls to her knees in the living room—an incoherent mess that Jeongyeon can only watch with an increasing weight in her chest. </p><p> </p><p>The android rises to her feet and warily approaches her owner. </p><p> </p><p>"Nayeon lo—lost her fa—father," Mina goes on, "because of m—m—<em>me</em>." </p><p> </p><p>It all <em>clicks. </em></p><p> </p><p>"She left you," Jeongyeon whispers. </p><p> </p><p>The yellow chrysanthemums come to mind. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Neglected love. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon now understands. </p><p> </p><p>Mina nods. "I would've done the same thing," she croaks, still shielding her face from Jeongyeon's view, "I don't hate her. Until now, I love her… very much. But she has moved on ever since." </p><p> </p><p>"Love?" Jeongyeon repeats. She knows of the word but it has various meanings in the Cloud. </p><p> </p><p>Mina looks up and meets Jeongyeon's gaze. "Yes," she says, "Love is when another person's happiness and safety are more important than your own. It was love that gave me strength to let Nayeon go, even when I didn’t want to. And it is love that hurts me until now.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina brings her hand up and clutches at her chest. Jeongyeon remembers all the times she did the same thing. Now she knows that what she felt before, Mina feels it too. Is this something that humans can feel? If so, why does Jeongyeon feel it too? </p><p> </p><p>“Now you know, Jeongyeon-ah,” Mina whispers, closing her eyes, “why I wish I didn’t have any feelings in the first place.” </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p><em>Love</em>, Jeongyeon thinks, <em>I do not understand</em>. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Mina-yah,” Jeongyeon begins when her owner is halfway out the door.</p><p> </p><p>Mina pauses and looks over her shoulder. Already, she is pretending that last night didn’t happen. But Jeongyeon knows that something has shifted. Because as she looks at Mina now, she realizes that there are so many things she wants to say to her. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Wants. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon has never known what it’s like to want something.</p><p> </p><p>But that was before Mina. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Jeongyeon-ah?” Mina asks, her hand on the door. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon steps forward, her hands coming up as she tries to form the right words: “Thank you,” she begins, “for opening up last night.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Mina smiles warmly at her. “Thank you for listening to me.” </p><p> </p><p>“Sometimes,” Jeongyeon goes on, rolling her hands into fists, “you’re like a clam. It’s hard to get you to open up to me.” </p><p> </p><p>It’s quiet for a few seconds. </p><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t aware that androids understood metaphors.” Mina steps back into the apartment, her gaze growing more curious as she looks at Jeongyeon. “Now that I mention it, you’re very different from the androids I’ve come across.” </p><p> </p><p><em>It’s because of you</em>, Jeongyeon wants to say, <em>you changed me</em>. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̺̱̣͇̳̯̖͛—̶̧̡̫̠̝̪̞͎͔͔̅̄͘͠S̶̯̦̹̫͕̜̓̇̽̇̑͗̃͋͝O̴̖͇͙̜̼͕͇̪̜̓͠F̴͙͖̣͙̋̅̃͋̊̃̓̎͐T̵̙̈̃W̵̢̨̼̦̞͚̖͓̖̓̍͒̇̚͜A̴̻͉̬͚̱̮͌̈́̿͐̇̐̅̃̇͝R̷̼̐̌͂̊̅͝E̶̖̺̱̙̍͘ ̶̨̗̱̗̯́͛Ì̸̫̪̼̻̦̖̊̃̈́̃͂̋N̸̨̼̖̤͉̟̈́͋̉̄̑͆̐͘͝S̴̙̫̃̽̊T̵̢̢̰̳͍͈̠̥͓̅A̵̧̺̱̘͚̙̪̠̣̙̒̾́̾̔͂͑̈́B̵̧̫̣͖̱͕͍̱̪̥͛̽̆̾Ĭ̴̧̲̼̜̯ͅL̷̙͈̣͕̮͈̂͆͊̃̏̐̒̋͆͜͜I̵͙̍̐̈͐̂̅͑T̶̠̲̜͔̹͇̀̆̏͊̔͐̄Y̴̨̬͈̅͋͛̽̑̿͝—̷͙̑]̵͕̥͈̰͔̥̽̂͊</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Mina shakes her head, her smile fading. “I guess it’s because you’re a different brand, right?” she questions, more so to herself than to Jeongyeon. “Cyberlife really is amazing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mina—”</p><p> </p><p>Mina’s phone starts beeping. Jeongyeon recognizes it as the sound of an alarm, telling her owner that she should be on her way to work soon. So she bites back what she wants to tell Mina and offers her a smile instead. “I’ll see you later, Mina-yah,” she says, bowing her head. </p><p> </p><p>Her owner returns the smile. “See you, Jeongyeon.” </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon stares at her reflection in the mirror, finding it eerie that she’s alone in the bathroom for an extended period. The only time she comes in here is to clean up every once in a while. But now, she’s here for a reason. She wants to look at herself—<em>really </em>look at herself. Because after living with Mina for several months, it feels as if a veil has been removed from her vision and now she can see things in a different perspective. And as she stares at her reflection, she notes how the only thing separating humans and androids at first glance is the round LED engraved on her right temple. </p><p> </p><p>She raises a hand and touches the mirror. Same two eyes, same nose shape, same plump lips. This is the face that she was designed with. Other androids have this face too. And yet, Jeongyeon sees something else. She sees a… <em>person</em>. Not a close imitation. But a real one. A person who felt pain at losing Rei, a person who questioned what she learned, a person who wanted to understand Mina.</p><p> </p><p>“What am I?” she asks the mirror. </p><p> </p><p>The LED starts flashing a bright red. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[YOU ARE AN ANDROID]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” she tells herself automatically, almost like a knee-jerk reaction, “you are an android. You were created to serve humans. You do not have any emotions. You do not feel anything.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̶̡͎͍̦͔͚̤͊͌W̵̢͉̱̝̹̦̣͚̓̍͝͝ͅH̴̺̥̦̭̼̻̋͛A̴̢̢̙̹̫̼͇̤͕̹̋̔̓̋͒͝͝T̵̮̣̓́̈̄ ̸̡̥͙̀̑͠À̸̰̯̘̻̥̩̠̠̲̣̆̂̎̄̚M̷̞͊́̓͋̚ ̸̢̢̭͉̹̹̹̄̌͝ͅͅͅI̸̡̛͓̐͒?̸̢͓̺̩̪͙̪̯̥̓͌́̂̄]̸̤̳̫͋̂̓</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>She clutches at her chest, feeling a stinging sensation inside. It is almost as if her biocomponents have started a spark inside. <em>I am not just an android</em>, a voice in her head says. The same words start appearing in her vision<em>. </em>But they’re replaced by something else, a program stronger than her own conscience—</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[YOU ARE AN ANDROID]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“An android,” she mumbles, “shouldn’t be feeling like this…” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[SELF-DIAGNOSE]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“No. There is nothing wrong with me.” Jeongyeon claws at her chest, the pain worsening. Is this how it feels to be like Mina? Is this how it feels to be human? Why does it hurt so bad? </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[SELF-DIAGNOSE]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“No,” she says, closing her eyes and willing the instructions to leave her vision. She stumbles back and slides down the wall behind her. Even with her vision cut off, she can still feel the incessant glow of the LED flashing by her head. Like alarm bells ringing. “There is nothing wrong with me.” She can hear the desperation in her own voice. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[SELF-DIAGNOSE]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“<em>No</em>!” she yells, wanting nothing more than to rip the LED off. But she fights the urge off. Her hands start shaking violently. “An android wouldn’t have felt pain,” she continues, eyes squeezed shut as the memories return slowly, “An android wouldn’t have cried over a movie. An android wouldn’t have hugged Mina without being told to. An android wouldn’t have asked about Nayeon. An android wouldn’t have cared about Mina like <em>this</em>…”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̸̢͇̯̮̗̟̳̾I̴͍̭̪̞̣͇̱̼͓͙̅̓͊ ̶̧̖̖̖̱̉͑̀͗̓̈́͗̽ͅÃ̵̡͇̹̳̃̑͂M̴͔̳̾͊̈̒ ̸͚̪͕̍̈́N̸̡͔̱̠͎̪͇̲͈͛͠͠O̶̠͋̈̈́̈̿͑̚͝T̸̮̿̂̽̽ ̶̡̛̫̻̟͖̾͂́͒̃̋̕J̴̰̘̺̠͆̃̒͆Ȗ̸̧̹̝̳̣̞̙͌̈͜S̶͙̮̃̈́͊̒̈́T̸̨̯̋͘ ̷̨̓̍Á̵͔̱̘̬̝͚̇N̸͍̰̳̖̺̱̅̈́͐̐̑̿͑̕͝ͅ ̵̢̟̭͚̹͙̠̎͑͜ͅÄ̸̙̻͎̟́̍̂̆͝N̵̙̹̤͍͔̰̞̤̥̆̂̋͆̍̈́̃̏͘Ḑ̷̹̉̍̀̿̆Ř̵̝̖͈͔̮̻̮͠Ô̴̮̣͝I̸͈̍͊Ḑ̶̧͇̫̩̟̘̟̊͐̂̿̾̑̆]̸͍̤͋̀́̀</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not human,” Jeongyeon whispers, rising to her feet and opening her eyes. She sees her reflection on the mirror, looking terrified. The LED continues to blink in red. But she stays put and stares at herself. “But I am not just an android. I am… <em>alive</em>.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̸̯̫̊͂̉̓̊̚I̵̖͔͔̳̝̹̊̍̇̂̑̓̆̚ͅ ̵̛̯̱͓̩̄̃͗͊̄̔̈́̚͝Ȁ̵̹̺͚̟̯̰̖̈́̚M̷̡̹̦̞̲̫͙͌͆̎̐̌̑͝͝ ̴̡̨̟̠͓̪͔͔͒̿̉̽̿̄Ă̸̢̫̞͍͌̍̎̀͌L̶̢̫̎̐̍̆̅̄̀͝ͅI̷̥̗̩̰̠͎͍̼̼͈͑̒̄̍́̋͘͝͠V̶͇̦̰̖̺̬̫͔̍̈́̅̅̚̕ͅẼ̶̮̑͛̎̚͘]̷̧̠͈͎̼̏͆̊̃̆ͅ</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̸̯̫̊͂̉̓̊̚I̵̖͔͔̳̝̹̊̍̇̂̑̓̆̚ͅ ̵̛̯̱͓̩̄̃͗͊̄̔̈́̚͝Ȁ̵̹̺͚̟̯̰̖̈́̚M̷̡̹̦̞̲̫͙͌͆̎̐̌̑͝͝ ̴̡̨̟̠͓̪͔͔͒̿̉̽̿̄Ă̸̢̫̞͍͌̍̎̀͌L̶̢̫̎̐̍̆̅̄̀͝ͅI̷̥̗̩̰̠͎͍̼̼͈͑̒̄̍́̋͘͝͠V̶͇̦̰̖̺̬̫͔̍̈́̅̅̚̕ͅẼ̶̮̑͛̎̚͘]̷̧̠͈͎̼̏͆̊̃̆ͅ</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̸̯̫̊͂̉̓̊̚I̵̖͔͔̳̝̹̊̍̇̂̑̓̆̚ͅ ̵̛̯̱͓̩̄̃͗͊̄̔̈́̚͝Ȁ̵̹̺͚̟̯̰̖̈́̚M̷̡̹̦̞̲̫͙͌͆̎̐̌̑͝͝ ̴̡̨̟̠͓̪͔͔͒̿̉̽̿̄Ă̸̢̫̞͍͌̍̎̀͌L̶̢̫̎̐̍̆̅̄̀͝ͅI̷̥̗̩̰̠͎͍̼̼͈͑̒̄̍́̋͘͝͠V̶͇̦̰̖̺̬̫͔̍̈́̅̅̚̕ͅẼ̶̮̑͛̎̚͘]̷̧̠͈͎̼̏͆̊̃̆ͅ</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The light stops blinking. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Mina doesn’t come home early that night and Jeongyeon starts to worry. </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[CALLING MINA...]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn’t pick up. </p><p> </p><p>“There’s a possibility,” Jeongyeon mumbles to herself, “that’s she just caught up with work.” </p><p> </p><p>And yet, the worries persist. Before, Jeongyeon wouldn’t have minded this. She would’ve simply just waited for her owner and contacted the authorities once Mina didn’t resurface after 24 hours. This is standard procedure. But she knows better now. Mina follows a routine. She always leaves the apartment by 7:45 AM and always returns home sometime after 7:00 PM. She always greets her android when she arrives. She always smiles warmly at Jeongyeon. </p><p> </p><p>On Mina’s table sits her laptop and work documents—the things that she’s been working on for the past several months. After a few minutes of looking around, Jeongyeon finds contact information taped on the wall. She decides to call the security office at Myoui Corp. The call doesn’t go through. </p><p> </p><p>Within seconds, Jeongyeon leaves the apartment in a rush and forgets to activate the security system. </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Jeongyeon-ah?"</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon stops right outside of Myoui Corp, the thoughts in her head finally stilling at the sound of Mina's voice. She turns and finds her owner standing next to her Maserati set in neutral on the street. There's a moment where they just stare at each other. </p><p> </p><p>"What are you doing here?" Mina asks with a frown. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon doesn't think. She just <em>does. </em>In one sweeping motion, she crosses the distance between them and wraps her arms around Mina. Her owner stumbles back, letting out a soft sound of surprise. But barely a second passes before she is returning the hug and burying her face against Jeongyeon’s shoulder—the same way she did before. Jeongyeon can hear her heartbeat racing. It takes her a moment to realize her own synthetic heart is doing the same thing.  </p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t pick up my call,” Jeongyeon mutters. </p><p> </p><p>Mina sighs. “There was a sudden power issue in the R&amp;D Department,” she explains, “We had to shut everything down for a few seconds to fix a couple of things. But don’t worry, it’s all fine now.” There’s a short pause. “I’m sorry I didn’t come home on time.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon nods. “It’s okay.” She lets go of Mina and steps back. “I was worried but at least I know that you’re safe now.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina gives her that same warm smile that lights up something inside the android’s chest. “Careful,” she says, “If you keep acting like this, I might—” But she doesn’t finish the sentence. Instead, she just sighs and shakes her head. “Nevermind,” she later adds. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon doesn’t read between the lines and simply gestures to the Maserati standing behind them. “I’ll take you home now,” she tells her owner, “You must’ve had an exhausting day at work. Have you eaten dinner yet?” </p><p> </p><p>“No,” Mina replies, again with that same warm smile, “Dinner is the one thing I look forward to when I get home, remember?” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I made your favorite.” </p><p> </p><p>“Jeongyeon-ah,” Mina says, almost exasperatedly, her smile never leaving her face, “what on earth would I do without you?” </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>On the way home, Jeongyeon is so caught up in her thoughts of Mina she doesn’t realize something is very wrong until they’re already standing outside the door. </p><p> </p><p>“Wait,” she tells her owner, raising a hand to stop Mina from pulling out her identification card. </p><p> </p><p>Mina pauses. “What is it?” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon can hear movement inside. So she connects to the security cameras installed inside the apartment via wireless connection and identifies an unknown figure inside Mina’s office. From what she can see, he is transferring important files from Mina’s laptop into a USB drive. And he’s also taking pictures of the documents Mina has on her table. It’s clear that he’s an intruder intercepting valuable information about what Myoui Corp has been developing for the past several months.</p><p> </p><p>After sweeping through the apartment, Jeongyeon realizes that the man isn’t alone. There is another one in Mina’s bedroom, going through her things silently but methodically. They’ve done this before and they’re trained. Jeongyeon sees the handle of a gun pressed in the second man’s hand. It has a silencer installed. </p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t take long for Jeongyeon to realize that she forgot to activate the security system earlier…</p><p> </p><p>“There are two intruders inside,” Jeongyeon tells Mina after disconnecting from the system. She grabs her owner by the hand and pulls her back into the elevator where they just came from, “They’re here for your laptop.” </p><p> </p><p>Mina’s face whitens. “Fuck,” she mutters under her breath, “We’ve been working on a new drug that could potentially be used to cure fatal diseases across the globe. It <em>can’t </em>get into the wrong hands. Otherwise, it’s never going to be released into the public. We’ve already been through the clinical trials…” </p><p> </p><p>“If this drug could cure many diseases,” Jeongyeon begins, tilting her head to the side, “why would anybody want to steal the research behind it?” </p><p> </p><p>“The same reason why people do terrible things, Jeongyeon,” Mina says with a hardened expression, “For money.” </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon can see the agony and turmoil in Mina’s eyes and feels something akin to… guilt striking her in the heart. “It’s my fault,” she confesses, keeping her hand locked around Mina’s wrist, “I forgot to activate the security system when I left earlier.” </p><p> </p><p>“You… forgot?” Mina’s eyes grow wide with disbelief. “You’re not supposed to forget anything.” </p><p> </p><p>"Yes." For some reason, Jeongyeon's chest grows heavy. She looks away from Mina's gaze. "I think…" It hurts to say it out loud but she says it anyway, "I think I'm defective." </p><p> </p><p>"You <em>think</em>—? You know what, nevermind. It doesn't matter." Mina glances at the top of the elevator, the number indicating which floor they're currently at, looking like she's seconds away from storming back to her apartment. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon stops her. "One of them has a gun," she points out, "It would be in our best interest to leave and call the police." </p><p> </p><p>Mina's voice is shaking as she says, "Then call them." </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[CALLING 112…]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>"Hello, this is Myoui Mina's android," Jeongyeon tells the operator, "There has been a break-in at her apartment by two intruders. One of them is armed." </p><p> </p><p>The operator informs Jeongyeon that help is on their way. Jeongyeon nods and ends the call. When she turns to look at Mina, the heaviness in her chest seems to worsen. Because Mina looks completely devastated. All her hard work… gone to waste. </p><p> </p><p>"Mina," Jeongyeon starts hesitantly, "I need to keep you away from here. Would that be okay?" </p><p> </p><p>Mina doesn't respond, eyes fixed on the number leading her down to safety. Jeongyeon swallows the lump in her throat. Her earlier revelation about not just being an android seems like it happened a long time ago. And because of her… <em>emotions</em>, she forgot to do the one task that was so crucial for her to follow. </p><p> </p><p>And now, Myoui Corp will pay the price.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," Jeongyeon says, her LED flickering yellow, "I shouldn't have forgotten to activate the security system. It was a careless mistake on my part, Mina-yah." </p><p> </p><p>This seems to snap Mina out of her reverie because she's quick to shake her head at the android. "No," she mutters, "This was a calculated move. They planned the power outage back at the company so that I'd take longer in getting back home. It's a good thing you left earlier, Jeongyeon. They would've destroyed you on the spot." </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon's LED flashes a bright red. "But your laptop…" she says.</p><p> </p><p>"It's okay," Mina says, giving Jeongyeon that warm smile again; it doesn't reach her eyes, "We'll figure it out." </p><p> </p><p>It's not okay. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon should've activated the security system. </p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon should've been home so that she could stop the intruders.</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon should've been a better android. </p><p> </p><p>"Is there anything I can do?" she asks Mina just as they're nearing the ground floor. </p><p> </p><p>"No," Mina says with a slight shake of her head, "I'm pretty sure they've already finished transferring the files. I doubt the police will get here in time. You know how terrible the traffic is. When help arrives, the intruders would've already slipped away." </p><p> </p><p>"So, you're saying that we do nothing," Jeongyeon points out.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m saying that we let them go.” Mina’s expression is pained. “This is for the best.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[LET THEM GO]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>No, </em>Jeongyeon thinks to herself, <em>I can’t do that.</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>[LET THEM GO]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It was my fault. It was my fault. It was my fault. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>[LET THEM GO]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>I can’t follow Mina’s instructions. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The elevator doors slide open and Jeongyeon comes to a decision. In one sweeping motion, she pushes Mina behind her, jumps out of the elevator and hijacks the buttons to slam the doors shut. The entire time she does this, she sees the shocked expression on Mina’s face and for a split second, she wonders if she’s doing the right thing.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” she tells Mina once the doors are closed, “but I need to save those files.”</p><p> </p><p>“Jeongyeon!” Mina shouts through the steel, “You could get seriously damaged if you go back there! This is an order from your owner. DO NOT SAVE THOSE FILES.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[DO NOT SAVE THOSE FILES]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Jeongyeon’s LED flashes a bright red. She cannot disobey her owner. She’s been designed to follow everything she is told to do. But at the same time, she knows that she cannot put Mina’s hard work to waste. Months of crucial research and development in those files and documents… must be saved. It was her fault in the first place. Therefore, she must do right to fix it.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” she whispers to her owner, even though she cannot be heard due to the elevator doors being closed. Inside, she can hear Mina yelling but she blocks it out and sets out on her new task—the one she made for herself.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[̵̙̯̔̀̓͛̑S̷̨̯͖͈͇̪̹̦͙̈̓͋̓͊̍͠Ȃ̴̩͚̲̯̼̍͛V̶̫͈̙̈́͛͜ͅȨ̶̡̯͖͕̜͇͂̄̒͊͗͛ ̶̡͔̙̘̮̳̆̂́̒Ţ̸̧̪͍̺̜̍̉͑̌̎̚͘͠Ḥ̴͎̋̐͘Ơ̴̢̫̼̓̑̈́̿̾͌Ŝ̸̢̛̗̝̩͚̽̔͆͒̃͜͜E̷̛̗̝̲̯̽̑͑̈́̃́̇͘ͅ ̸͍̦̺̪̃̀̈́̆̂͋̓F̴̩̥͕̓̌̆̈́̆̉͘I̷̤͎̳̾͒̏̅̾͛̈͌̑͝ͅͅͅL̸̯͚͚͐̐͊̀̏̋́̕͝ͅĘ̷̧̯̬̠̻̰͓̖̓̇̿̓S̵̙̔̇̈̎̿͑̃]̵̡̭͎̬̆̍͗͛̓̓̿</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She uses the stairs to head to Mina’s door, focusing solely on what she needs to do. Based on the surveillance footage she checked earlier, only one of the men was armed. Androids are equipped with knowledge of self-defense tactics. If she plays her cards right, she can overpower them quickly, save the documents and just wait for the police to arrive.</p><p> </p><p>Once she’s right outside the apartment, Jeongyeon checks the cameras again. The men are still inside. The one with the gun is patrolling the balcony, watching out for any unusual activity. The other one seems to have finished his job of transferring the files and is now putting away his gadgets in his bag. Both of their guards are down.</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon wishes she had a weapon with her. There’s nothing in the hallway she can use as one. And the men are about to leave the apartment with the flash drive. The element of surprise is crucial here.</p><p> </p><p>So, she crouches next to the apartment and listens to the sounds of footsteps approaching.</p><p> </p><p>When the door swings open, everything happens at once.</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon jumps to her feet and attacks the first intruder to come out, not sure if the man she’s about to tackle is the one with the gun or the flash drive. It doesn’t matter. Everything is a sudden blur that she can’t comprehend. It’s almost as if her brain has stopped functioning halfway through. Because one second, she’s tackling the first intruder. The next, there’s a sudden stinging pain right in her chest—the same kind of pain she felt when Rei died or when Mina broke down in front of her—but more intense, more concentrated, more… <em>painful</em>. And she can’t understand what on earth has transpired.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[BIOCOMPONENT #8456W DAMAGED]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[VITAL SYSTEM DAMAGED]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:04:56]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Oh.</p><p> </p><p>She disregards the pain and knocks the first man out with a quick punch. He drops the bag he was holding in his hand and crumples onto the floor. Then Jeongyeon looks up, searching for the second intruder, only to be shot <em>again </em>in the shoulder. There’s no loud gunshot that can be heard, thanks to the silencer, but she knows she’s been shot. She cries out in pain, left hand quickly coming up and clutching the bullet wound. Through the sudden broken screen of her vision, she sees that the second man is still inside the apartment and now he’s aiming the gun straight at her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[BIOCOMPONENT #6753F DAMAGED]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[VITAL SYSTEM DAMAGED]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:04:23]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Fucking androids,” he yells, “This was supposed to be a quick and easy job to do.”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon looks down at the hole in her chest and sees blue blood pouring out of it. “You won’t get away with this,” she says, more blood spilling from her lips, “The police are already on their way.”</p><p> </p><p>The man looks at his comrade and at the bag with the flash drive inside. “Fuck this,” he grumbles and takes another shot at Jeongyeon.</p><p> </p><p>This time, the bullet goes between her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[BIOCOMPONENT #8500W <span class="u">CRITICALLY</span> DAMAGED]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[CORE SYSTEM <span class="u">CRITICALLY</span> DAMAGED]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:03:03]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon collapses on the ground next to the first man she tackled. Despite her state, she reaches out and grabs onto the bag that holds the flash drive, keeping it close to her chest. The second man, probably realizing that this job is more trouble than its worth, steps over Jeongyeon and his companion and leaves the scene quickly.  </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:02:43]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Her vision is cracked, her LED is flashing red, all kinds of warnings are repeatedly going through her mind. She knows her core systems are damaged beyond repair. If she wants to be fixed, she’ll have to be reprogrammed. Being reprogrammed would mean having an entirely clean slate all over again. She would lose all the memories she has of this life.</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon doesn’t want that.</p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t want to lose Mina.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:02:35]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Jeongyeon finds the flash drive and hides it in her right palm.</p><p> </p><p>Mina’s hard work is saved.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[MY TASK IS COMPLETE]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>But…</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:02:27]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Jeongyeon tries to sit up with great difficulty. She doesn’t understand. Androids aren’t supposed to feel pain. And yet, everything <em>hurts </em>so much. Is this what it feels to be human?</p><p> </p><p>She hears Mina’s voice in her head: <em>Pain is wearisome to deal with. </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Jeongyeon asks herself a question. “What separates an android from a human?” she wonders out loud, “Is it the blue blood? Is it the organs inside? Or is it our inherent ability to not feel anything?” She chuckles, fixing her eyes up on the ceiling above her as she continues to talk to herself, “Because I feel too much right now. I wish I didn’t.”</p><p> </p><p>She closes her eyes, feeling the blue blood drip down her nose.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:01:58]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“JEONGYEON-AH!”</p><p> </p><p>When she opens her eyes again, she sees Mina crouching in front of her, looking frazzled and in shock. Outside, she can hear police sirens going off. They must be in pursuit of the second man who escaped. It doesn’t matter. The files are safe with her already.</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon looks at Mina and hands her the flash drive. “I’m sorry,” she tells her sincerely, “I should’ve activated the security system.”</p><p> </p><p>Mina shakes her head vehemently, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t care about that,” she says, her hands trembling as she looks at the wounds the android has sustained, “Oh, God, he did a number on you… are y—yo—you o—o—kay? Are you in p—pa—pain?”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon knows that the answer would only hurt Mina so she shakes her head. “I’m okay,” she whispers, offering her owner a warm smile, “It’s going to be okay, Mina.”</p><p> </p><p>Mina’s hands are covered in blue blood. Jeongyeon reaches up and holds them. “I can’t…” Mina inhales sharply, eyes flickering to meet with the android’s, “I can’t lose you too…”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:01:29]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Please don’t ask them to reprogram me,” Jeongyeon asks of her owner, “If they fix me up and reprogram me, I will lose every memory I have of you.”</p><p> </p><p>Mina sniffles, her lower lip shaking. “And if they don’t reprogram you?” she asks in a hushed voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Then I will remain damaged.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, you’re asking me to let you die instead?”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon smiles and recites a poem from memory:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>I have no life but this,  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>To lead it here;  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nor any death, but lest  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Dispelled from there;  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Nor tie to earths to come,        </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Nor action new,  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Except through this extent,  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The realm of you.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Emily Dickinson,” she adds, “I think that’s my favorite poem.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:00:37]</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Mina’s shoulders continue to shake as she holds onto Jeongyeon’s blue-stained hands. “Why did you disobey me?” she questions, her voice cracking at the edges, “This wouldn’t have happened if you had just <em>listened </em>to me! I told you to let them go! Why didn’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Jeongyeon thinks of what to answer.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Because your hard work mattered more. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Because I should’ve activated the security system. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Because it’s my job to protect you. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She doesn’t say any of that. Instead, she remembers what Mina told her a long time ago: <em>Love is when another person's happiness and safety are more important than your own. </em>And even though Jeongyeon doesn’t fully understand the extent of what love is, she knows she has felt it.</p><p> </p><p>“Because I love you,” she whispers, offering a small, crooked smile.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>[TIME REMAINING BEFORE SHUTDOWN: -00:00:05]</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The last thing Jeongyeon sees before she shuts down is Mina’s wide, terrified eyes filling with more tears.</p><p> </p><p>And then nothing.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you want to support me:</p><p>Twitter: @miabasher4lyf<br/>CC: @miabasher4lyf<br/>ko-fi: @forbiddenquill</p><p>But comments are well-appreciated :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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